Exploring internet influence on the coverage of social protest: Content analysis comparing protest coverage in 1967 and 1999

Abstract

This study examined the coverage of two social protests set three decades apart. Findings showed that journalists covering anti-WTO protests in 1999 relied on official and authoritative sources more than journalists covering anti-Vietnam war protests in 1967, despite today's Internet-enabled access to alternative sources and thematic analyses. No change was seen in use of protester sources or thematic versus episodic frames in story valence. Providing a backdrop to today's emerging study of online information seeking by journalists, this study suggests that conventional strategies in news sourcing and framing may endure despite the resourcefulness facilitated today by the Internet. © 2007 AEJMC.